This document outlines the syllabus and question paper pattern for Class XI English Core for the 2020-2021 school year. It provides details on the prescribed textbooks, chapters to be covered, and sections that will be assessed on the exam. The exam will consist of three sections - Reading Comprehension, Writing Skills, and Literature Textbooks. Reading Comprehension will include multiple choice questions on passages, note-making, and summarization. Writing Skills will assess short writing tasks, letter/speech writing, and grammar. Questions will be asked on prose, poetry and drama extracts from the textbooks Hornbill and Snapshots.

1. CLASS – XI
ENGLISH CORE
2020-2021
SYLLABUS
&
QUESTION PAPER PATTERN
Prepared by:
ASHWINI KUMAR
CLASS – XI
ENGLISH CORE
WITH
DELETED PORTION

2. PRESCRIBED BOOKS
1. Hornbill: English Reader (For class-XI) published by National Council of Education
Research and Training, New Delhi
2. Snapshots: Supplementary Reader (For class-XI) published by National Council of
Education Research and Training, New Delhi

3. HORNBILL
PROSE POETRY
1. The Portrait of a Lady
2. “We’re Not Afraid to Die... if
We Can All Be Together”
3. Discovering Tut: the Saga
Continues
4. Landscape of the Soul
5. The Ailing Planet: the Green
Movement’s Role
6. The Browning Version
7. The Adventure (Deleted)
8. Silk Road
1. A Photograph
2. The Laburnum Top
3. The Voice of the Rain
4. Childhood
5. Father to Son (Deleted)
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

4. SNAPSHOTS
FICTION
1. The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse.
2. The Address
3. Ranga’s Marriage
4. Albert Einstein at School
5. Mother’s Day
6. The Ghat of the Only World (Deleted)
7. Birth
8. The Tale of Melon City (Deleted)
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

5. SECTION A - READING COMPREHENSION (26 Marks)
PASSAGE N0. 1:
A. Multiple Choice questions based on one unseen passage to assess
comprehension, interpretation and inference. Vocabulary and
inference of meaning will also be assessed. Ten out of eleven
questions to be done.
Choice of 10 out of 11 questions. (10x1=10 Marks)
The passages may include the following:
a) Factual passages, e.g., instructions, descriptions, reports.
b) Descriptive passages involving opinion, e.g., argumentative,
persuasive or interpretative text.
c) Literary passages, e.g., extract from fiction, drama, poetry,
essay or biography.
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

6. SECTION A - READING COMPREHENSION (26 Marks)
PASSAGE N0. 2:
B. Multiple Choice questions based on one unseen case-based factual
passage with verbal/visual inputs like statistical data, charts etc.
Eight out of Nine questions to be done.
Choice of 08 out of 09 questions. (08x1=08 Marks)
Note: The combined word limit for both the passages will be 600-750
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

7. SECTION A - READING COMPREHENSION (26 Marks)
PASSAGE N0. 3:
C. Note Making and Summarization based on a passage of
approximately 200-250 words.
1. NOTE MAKING (05 Marks)
a) Title : 01 Mark
b) Numbering & Indenting : 01 Mark
c) Key / glossary : 01 Mark
d) Notes : 01 Mark
2. SUMMARY (up to 50 words) (03 Marks)
a) Content : 02 Marks
b) Expression : 01 Mark
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

8. SECTION B - WRITING SKILLS (24 Marks)
A.
SHORT WRITING TASKS
• Short writing task -Notice writing up to 50 words. One out of the two
given questions to be answered. (03 Marks)
(Choice of 01 out of 02 questions)
• Short writing task –Poster up to 50 words. One out of the two given
questions to be answered. (03 Marks)
(Choice of 01 out of 02 questions)
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

9. SECTION B - WRITING SKILLS (24 Marks)
B.
• Letters based on verbal/visual input, to be answered in 120-150 words.
Business or official letters (for making enquiries, registering complaints,
asking for and giving information, placing orders and sending replies), letter
to the school or college authorities, regarding admissions, school issues,
requirements / suitability of courses, etc.
(LETTER : Choice of 01 out of 02 questions.) (05 Marks)
• Writing composition based on visual/verbal inputs in 120-150 words. May be
descriptive / argumentative in nature such as speech/debate. The theme
should be contemporary topical issues. One out of the two given questions to
be answered.
(SPEECH/DEBATE: Choice of 01 out of 02 questions.)(05 Marks)
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

10. SECTION B - WRITING SKILLS (24 Marks)
C.
Grammar
•Multiple choice questions on Gap filling (Determiners, Tenses)
•Multiple choice questions on re-ordering/transformation of sentences.
(Choice of eight questions out of the ten given.) (08 Marks)
DELETED PORTION IN WRITING SECTION (2020-21)
• Classified Advertisements,
• Letters to the editor (giving suggestions/opinions on an issue) Provide
realistic context in the form of newspaper report/article to which the
students may respond,
• Application for a job with a bio-data or résumé,
• Article & Report Writing,
• Narrative.
GRAMMAR
• Modals,
• Clauses,
• Change of Voice,
•Error Correction, editing task/cloze passages.
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

11. SECTION C – LITERATURE TEXTBOOKS ( 30 MARKS)
1. Multiple Choice questions from an extract from Poetry from Hornbill to
assess comprehension and appreciation.
Choice of 01 out of 02 extracts given. (03x 01=03 Marks)
2. Multiple Choice questions based on two Prose extracts from Hornbill as
well as Snapshots to assess comprehension and appreciation.
Choice of 02 out of 03 extracts given. (06x 01=06 Marks)
3. Text based Multiple Choice Questions to assess comprehension, analysis
and interpretation, from Prose and Poetry.
Choice of 05 out of 06 questions given. (05x 01=05 Marks)
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

12. SECTION C – LITERATURE TEXTBOOKS ( 30 MARKS)
4. Two Short answer type questions (one from Prose and one from Poetry
from the book Hornbill), to be answered in 30-40 words. Questions should
elicit inferential responses through critical thinking.
Choice of 02 out of 04 questions given. (02x 02=04 Marks)
5. One Short answer type question, from Prose (Snapshots), to be answered
in 40-50 words. Questions should elicit inferential responses through critical
thinking.
Choice of 01 out of 02 questions given. (01x 02=02 Marks)
6. One Long answer type question, from Prose/poetry (Hornbill), to be
answered in 120-150 words to assess global comprehension and
extrapolation beyond the text. Questions to provide evaluative and analytical
responses using incidents, events, themes as reference points.
Choice of 01 out of 02 questions given. (01x 05=05 Marks)
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar

13. SECTION C – LITERATURE TEXTBOOKS ( 30 MARKS)
7. One Long answer type question, based on the chapters from the book
Snapshots, to be answered in 120-150 words to assess global comprehension
and extrapolation beyond the text. Questions to provide evaluative and
analytical responses using incidents, events, themes as reference points.
Choice of 01 out of 02 questions given. (01x 05=05 Marks)
(INTERNAL ASSESSMENT ) (20 Marks)
Assessment of Listening and Speaking Skills
Class-XI: English Core (2020-21) Compiled by Ashwini Kumar